No business like show business for Nicole's bump

Just over a week ago, Nicole Kidman hardly looked like she was expecting at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville.

But yesterday, at a conference at United Nations headquarters in New York, the Australian actress proudly showed off her obvious bump to waiting photographers

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Dressed in a loose, navy-blue dress, seven-months pregnant Kidman held her expanded waistline as she called for more support for an online petition aimed at eliminating violence against women in her role as a United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Goodwill Ambassador.

The 40-year-old says that as a mother of two, she wants to help her children and other children around the world have a "better life".

She is urging people to add their names to the online campaign and donors to increase funding.

"Every voice counts, and every amount counts," Kidman was quoted as saying.

The Say NO to violence against women petition has gained more than 200,000 supporters, according to the UN.

Acting debut

Meanwhile, Kidman and Tom Cruise's adopted son, 13-year-old Connor Cruise, will make his big screen debut next month in Will Smith's new film Seven Pounds.

Connor, who is African-American, and was adopted by Kidman and her ex-husband Cruise, will play Smith's character as a teenager in the film, People Magazine online reported today.

People noted that "even with such famous acting mentors in his corner, Connor had to audition for the part".

Tom Cruise and Will Smith are friends.

Andrew Hornery reports: A troublesome trend has developed for Antonia Kidman: every time she reaches a milestone in her career, it gets overshadowed by family dramas.

On Monday, as she collected the ASTRA Award for Australian pay TV's favourite female personality for the second year in a row, Kidman let slip it had been a difficult day as her father, Anthony Kidman, had undergone surgery, resulting in a media frenzy.

Last year, the ASTRA Awards were her first public outing after the Herald revealed her then husband, Angus Hawley, had been admitted to a clinic with "depression and anxiety". The couple soon split.

PS can reveal that Dr Kidman underwent heart surgery at the North Shore Private Hospital on Monday. Sister Nicole is in the US with her husband, Keith Urban, but Antonia and her mother Janelle had been by Dr Kidman's side.

Sources said the surgery went well, adding last night that Dr Kidman was "doing fine".